Actions

Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1374A

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to the duties of the commissioner of education with regard to early childhood education

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill directs the commissioner to review and make recommendations about the education and development of children from birth through five years of age at all settings which care for such children.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 directs the commissioner to review and make recommendations concerning the education and development of children from birth through five years of age. The commissioner will consult with the department of health, the office of children and family service, the office of temporary and disability assistance and the early childhood advisory council appointed pursuant to the federal Head Start Reauthorization Act. The department will report its findings, conclusion and recommendations to the governor and the legislature.

Section 2 makes this act effective immediately.

JUSTIFICATION: Research has well documented the importance of high quality early education and care to elementary and secondary education. Children who are involved in education at day care, pre-kindergarten programs and other settings which care for children from birth through five years of age are better prepared for school. They read better, speak better, behave better and, in general, do better in school. In New York State, however, multiple agencies, numerous providers and separate funding streams complicate the delivery of and access to programs and services for the education and development of our youngest citizens. For example, the responsibility for education, development and care of children from birth to five years of age rests with public and non-public schools, prekindergarten programs, day care centers and family day care, early intervention programs and special education programs.

New York must and can do better by our children. This bill therefore calls on the State Education Department where Regents have established an Early Childhood Workgroup to review, in consultation with the Office of Children and Family Services, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the Department of Health, state laws and regulations, program and services in the several agencies now responsible for education and care of young children and make recommendations to establish a seamless and comprehensive set of educational systems and supports for children from birth to age five. This will serve children well. It will also serve the state; with new emphasis on early childhood education, the federal government is developing new funding. In order to compete for these funds, New York will need to address how it administers, funds and delivers programs and services to the youngest children and their families. Other states including Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia and Washington have already done so.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1374--A
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
(PREFILED)
January 9, 2013
___________

Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, ADDABBO, AVELLA, HASSELL-THOMPSON, PARK-
ER, SAVINO, SQUADRON, STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered print-
ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education --
recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate
Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the duties of the
commissioner of education with regard to early childhood education
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 44 to read as follows:
44. A. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OR THE
COMMISSIONER'S DESIGNEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY
ASSISTANCE AND THE CHAIR OR THE CHAIR'S DESIGNEE OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD
ADVISORY COUNCIL OR ITS EQUIVALENT AS APPOINTED PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL
HEAD START REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF TWO THOUSAND SEVEN, SHALL EXAMINE,
EVALUATE, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE EDUCATION AND DEVELOP-
MENT OF CHILDREN FROM BIRTH THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF AGE. THE COMMISSIONER
SHALL IDENTIFY, REVIEW, ANALYZE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT STATE
LAWS AND REGULATIONS, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
THE FOLLOWING: REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN FROM BIRTH
THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF AGE AT ALL SETTINGS WHICH CARE FOR SUCH CHILDREN
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PUBLIC AND NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRE-KINDER-
GARTEN PROGRAMS, DAY CARE CENTERS AND FAMILY DAY CARE, EARLY INTER-
VENTION PROGRAMS, SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND OTHER RELEVANT
SETTINGS; REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES NECESSARY TO THE
EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN FROM BIRTH THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF
AGE AT SUCH SETTINGS; THE HEALTH, FAMILY SUPPORT AND OTHER SERVICES

EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03905-02-4

S. 1374--A 2

NECESSARY FOR THE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN FROM BIRTH
THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF AGE; REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION
AND TRAINING OF PERSONNEL IN SUCH SETTINGS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES AND SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN FROM BIRTH
THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF AGE INCLUDING TEACHERS, TEACHER ASSISTANTS AND DAY
CARE PROVIDERS, DIRECTORS AND EMPLOYEES; AND THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND
LOCAL FUNDING STREAMS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AT PUBLIC AND
NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS, DAY CARE CENTERS AND
FAMILY DAY CARE AND OTHER RELEVANT SETTINGS.
B. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEN-
DATIONS WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION TO
THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE
ASSEMBLY, THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON EDUCATION,
THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON CHILDREN AND FAMI-
LIES, THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON SOCIAL
SERVICES AND THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON HEALTH.
THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRENGTHENING ACCESS TO AND
THE QUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL, DEVELOPMENTAL AND FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES AT ALL SETTINGS WHERE SUCH PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE
PROVIDED TO CHILDREN FROM BIRTH THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF AGE AND THE
CONSOLIDATION OF FUNDING, OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT FOR SUCH PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation comments facilitate discussion of New York State legislation. All comments are subject to moderation.
Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity or hate speech;
or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Comment moderation
is generally performed Monday through Friday.